Grade-crossing signal.



S. L. NEELY.

GRADE' CROSSING Sl-GNAL.

APPLICATION FILED MA 17. I915 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

1 l:F l Tl Er.

. F I .1 E as S. L. NEELY.

GRADE CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION man MAYn. 1915.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- WWW 'ful Improvements in Grade-Crossin nals; and I do hereby SAMUEL L. NEELY, 0F LONG'EON, KANSAS.

GRADE-CROSSING SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. NEELY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Longton, in the county of Elk and State of have invented certain new and gse- 1gdeclare the fol owing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in grade crossingsignals. i

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of grade crossing signals and to provide a simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive signal of strong and durable construction designed for automatic operation in connection with a train blocking system formin the subject matter of a companion app ication and equipped with a pair of semaphore arms operating in planes at right angles to each other and simultaneously movable in OPPO'. site directions and adapted to hang clear in Kansas,

* a vertical position. at a roadway and horizontally at the track for indicating to the persons at the roadway that it is safe to crossthe trackand capable when a train enters the block of automatically reversing their position and of hanging vertical at the track and of extending across the roadway to warn the person at the crossing of the approach of the train.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a signal of this character in which the semaphore arms will counterbalance each other and enable the signal to be operated with a minimum amountof power and by an exceedingly small motor." t v 7 Another object of the invention is to equip the grade crossing signal with means for normally displaying a red light to the track and a white light to the roadway and for changing the colors of the light to show a white light to the track and a red light to the roadway when a train enters the block and operates the signal. I I Y The invention also has for its object to provide a grade crossing signal equipped with means for opening and closing a plurality of circuits so that a certain set of circuits may be maintained in a closed condition when the signal is inits normal position and another set of circuits may be closed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. a, rare.

Application filed may 17, 1915. Serial. No. 28,691.

when the signal changesits position and opens the first set of circuits.

Another object of the invention is to provide a signal adapted to be used for a variety of purposes such as an information signal" to an engineer for indicating that the grade crossing signal hasproperly operated, a block signal and a signal for an open switch, broken rails or the like.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grade crossing signal constructed in accordance with thisinvention',

Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional view :of the same,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a vertical line H of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the blade carrying arm of the electric switch.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view. on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2,

' Fig. 7 is a plan View of a signal showing another form of the invention,

sectional vien on the same.

Like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a casing or box constructed of any suitable material and mounted upon a pole 2. The lower end of the box or casing receives the upperend of the pole and is secured to the same'by a horizontal bolt 3 or other suitable fastening means and one or more bolts may of course be employed' 'The box or casing which is preferably rectangular in cross section but which may be into a vertical series of chambers orcom Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the I partments by horizontal partitions 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and the said casing is also provided with a top 9 which may be ointed as shown or any other shape and which when pointed provides a space above the partition 8 into which extends the upper portion 10 of a vertically movable rack bar 11 when the latter is at the limit of its upward movement. The rack bar which is vertically disposed is also provided with a straight lower portion 11 and the said upper and lower portions are guided in openings in the partitions through which they pass so that the rack bar will be held steady and true in its vertical sliding movement. The rack bar is equipped at its lower end with a piston head 12 operating in a vertical cylinder 13 located in the bottom compartment 14 and provided at its lower end with an inwardly opening valve 15 adapted to permit the air to enter the cylinder 13 freely during the upward movement of the rack bar when the same is actuated by a motor 16. The cylinder is also provided at opposite sides with four vent ports 17 which permit the slow escape of air from the cylinder when the power is cut off from the motor and the rack bar descends by gravity. This produces a slow movement of the signal to its initial position after it has been operated. The cylinder 13 extends from the top to the bottom of the compartment 14 but it may of course be of any desired length to accommodate itself to the stroke of the rack bar. The rack bar is equipped at three of its sides with spur teeth 18, 19, and 20 which mesh with an actuat ing pinion 21, a toothed quadrant or gear element 22 and a pinion 23 which also meshes with a toothed quadrant for reversing the motion to cause the quadrant 24 to move in the opposite direction to the quadrant 22 which directly meshes with the rack bar. By this construction, the semaphore arms 25 and 26, which are connected with the quadrants, are simultaneously moved in opposite directions and when one of the arms is swun upwardly from a depending vertical positlon the other will be swung downwardly from a horizontal position to a vertical position and vice versa. The actuating pinion 21 is connected by a train of gears with the motor 16 and is mounted on a shaft 27 extending through one side of a casing 28 which is mounted in an intermediate compartment 29 located between the partitions 5 and 6' and preferably of a greater size than the other compartments to accommodate the gearing and the casing and the motor. The shaft 27 whichis journaled at its inner end in a vertical support 30 has keyed or otherwise secured to it a gear wheel 31 which meshes with a pinion 32 of an upper horizontal shaft 33 journaled in and extending through the support 30 and provided at the opposlte side thereof with a [receiving compartment.

gear wheel 34 which meshes with a pinion countershaft and the shaft 27 to have their adjacent ends journaled in sockets or bearings in. its opposite faces. The gearcase 28 is suitably supported by standards or posts 37 "and the counter shaft carries a gear wheel 38 which meshes with a pinion 39 of the motor shaft 40 but any other suitable means may of course be employed for connecting the motor with the train of gears which actuate the rack bar in the vertical movement thereof.

In practice, a small motor of the toy type will be sufficient to raise the rack bar owing to the counter-balancing of the parts through the semaphore arm and the train of gears which may be composed of pinions and gear wheels of any relative diameters cut down the speed of the motor to a slow movement of the rack bar and furnishes ample power for the same. When the current is thrown on the motor the actuating pinion is rotated by the train of gears connecting it with the motor and the rack bar is moved upwardly to its elevated position and as soon as the current is cutoff from the motor the rack bar descends by gravity its downward movement being retarded by the air contained Within the cylinder 13. The air escapes slowly through the vent ports 17 at the lower end of the cylinder and permits a slow downward movement of the rack bar which carries a lamp supporting "frame 41 and moves the same from an upper lightreceiving compartment" 43 to a-lower light receiv ing compartment 42. The 1i ht supporting frame which is in the form of a cage is provided at the bottom with a platform 44 and an upper plate 45 adapted to close or cover an opening 46* in the partition 7 when the rack bar is in its lower or initial position. The lamp supporting frame is composed of the plates 44 and 45 and vertical connecting portions which are arranged out of the lines intersecting central bulls-eyes 47 and 48 and a lamp 49. Each of. the walls of each of the light receiving compartments is provided with an aperture and a bulls-eye, two

of the bulls-eyes being designed to be red a red light will be shownto the track and a white light to the roadway and vice versa when the lamp is located in the upper light When the lamp is in the lower light receiving compartment the upper plate 45 by closing or covering the opening 46 prevents any, illumination of the upper light receiving compartment so movement of the rack bar from extinguishmg the lamp. 6 When the rack bar is at the limit of its upward movement the lower plate or platform 44 fills the opening 46 and prevents any illumination ofvthe lower compartment 42. When the rack bards in suitably mounted on a shaft 51.

its lower position, the arm 25 which is connected with the shaft 49 upon which thetoothed quadrant 22 is secured, is arranged in a horizontal position and extends across the track for stopping a train and it will be clear that should anything happen to the train blocking system such as a failure of current or the like gravity will cause the rack bar to descend and elevate the sema-- phore arm 25 which holds up the train so that the latter will be prevented from proceeding. Also it will be clear that when the semaphore arm controlling the road is down, persons may cross in perfect safety as it will be impossible for the train to proceed without passing under the semaphore arm 25. The shaft 49 is journaled in suitable bearings of the casing l and extendsthrough one of the walls thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The other semaphore arm 26 is mounted on a horizontal shaft 50 extending through one of the sides of the casing 1 and having mounted on it the quadrant 24 which meshes with the said pinion 23 and the latter is While toothed quadrants are shown complete gears may also be employed but a quadrant is preferable as it will enable a casing of less size tobe employed for containing the mechanism. The casing is provided at the bottom partition 4 with anopening 52 and is spaced from the upper end of the post orpole 2 to provide an air space 58 which communicates with the outside atmosphere through an aperture 54. Any other uitalole means may of course be employed for connecting the valve 15 with the atmosphere. The vertically movable rack bar carries a rigid horizontally disposed switch arm 55 rovided with a series of insulated metallic blades 56 adapted to be moved into engagement with upper and lower contacts 57 and 58 arranged in pairs and forming a slidable contact. The upper and lower contacts 57 and 58 which are connected with the wires 59 and 60 of a plurality of circuits consist of resilient plates arranged in pairs and having their outer terminals flared slightly to form an entrance and a sliding frictional engagement between the blades of the switch arm and the contact plates provide a bright, clean electrical contact and insure an operation of the circuits controlled by'the signal. When the signal is in its initial position, the

lower circuits are closed and when the signal.

through an operation of the motor is moved to its other signaling position the lower circuits are opened and the upper circu1ts are closed. This construction makes it possible for one train to obtain the control over other trains as the controlling circuit of each train may be through the signal of the other train and constitute one of the lower circuits in order that such circuit will be broken when the switch arm is mbved from the lower to the upper position.

Any number of electric circuits may be controlled in this manner and the casing 1 may be equipped with an auxiliary rack bar 60 vertically movable insuitable guides 61 and carrying a horizontally disposed switch arm 62 having a blade 63 arranged to close upper and lower circuits 64 and 65. Any number of such circuits may of course be employed and the rack bar 60 meshes with an actuating pinion 66 connected by a train of gears 67 with a pinion 68 of .a shaft 69 of a motor 70. The gearing is similar to that heretofore described but may of course be com- 7 posed of any desired number of pinions and gear wheels and it is mounted in a suitable gear casing 71. While it is unnecessary to employ an air cylinder for controlling the and the like and when only one semaphore arm isdesired or necessary, it may be counter-balanced by a stub arm 72.- Tn signals of this type the semaphore arm 7 3 is arranged in a horizontal position when the rack bar is in its lowered position when the said signal is used in a closed circuit so that in event of the breaking of the circuit the semaphore arm 73 will be carried upward to a horie zontal ,position by the gravity action of the mechanism. The rack bar 74 is similar in construction to that heretofore described and it carries horizontally disposed switch arms 75 and 76 provided with blades 77 and 78 for closing the circuits of upper and.

lower contact plates 7 9 and 80. Any number of the upper and lower circults may of course be employed to secure the desired control of the mechanism to be operated.

The semaphore arm 73 is connected with a segment 81 whlch meshes with the rack connected with the rack bar by the means employed for connecting the semaphore arm 26 hereinbefore described and as this gearing is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, further illustration thereof is believed to be unnecessary.

What is claimed is 1. In a signaling means, a casing pro vided adjacent its upper end with an upper light receiving compartment and a lower light receiving compartment disposed in superposed relation, said compartments being separated by a centrally apertured partition member and having signaling closure members secured in their opposite walls, a rack bar mounted axially of the casing for vertical sliding movement therein, a lamp housing carried by said bar and provided with top and bottom platcsadapted to close the opening through said partition member when the bar is moved into its extreme position in either direction, a lamp mounted in said housing for illuminating said compartment, signaling arms rockably mounted on the casing for movement about horizontal axes in planes at right angles to each other, and connections between said arms and the rack bar for causing simultaneous operation of the arms inopposite directions when the rack bar is operated, the movement of the bar serving to move the lamp into one of the light receiving compartments so as to produce an illuminated signal correspondingrto the signal given by said arms.

2. In signaling means, a vcasing of sub-* meassa stantial rectangular cross section provided with a plurality of spaced horizontal partition members, the partition members at the upper end of the casing forming two light receiving compartments, each of said compartments being provided with openings through its Walls and signaling closure members secured therein, a rack bar mounted coaxially with the casing and slidable through the partition members thereof so as to be braced and guided thereby, a lamp supported directly by said bar so as to be moved from one of the light receiving compartments to the other in accordance with movement of the bar, a lamp housing carried by the bar'and having top and bottom plates for closing the openings through the partition between the light receiving compartments, signaling arms rockably mounted on the casing for movement about horizontal axes in planes at right angles to each other, and connections between said arms and the rack bar for simulltaneously moving the arms in opposite directions when the raclr bar is operated, the operation of the rack bar serving to'move the lamp into position to illuminate one of the light receiving compartments so as to produce an illuminating signal corresponding to the signal given by said arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' GEoRsE A. MURPHY,

HENRY HOULAND. 

